I love several of Apple’s and Google’s products. For example, Apple’s new iTunes U app is a great way to learn from the best universities, and Google’s Gmail has become a necessity for me. (I think its new interface sucks, but it is otherwise a fine and very useful product.)
But both companies have recently shown their bad side, too:
- Apple’s end user license agreement (EULA) for its new iBooks Authoring tool is insanely restrictive. As Ed Bott notes in the linked article, it is as if Microsoft placed restrictions on how you used its Word product and also took part of any money you made from using Word. It is this sort of greed that has driven a lot of people from using Apple products to using Android products. It’s Apple’s “walled garden” philosophy.
- Google now requires all new users of its products to register for Google+ … if you want to sign up for Gmail, you must also sign up for G+. Greg Finn treats this in some depth in this Marketing Land article. On top of that, even deleting your G+ account will not prevent you from getting spam from Google+ (if those who have you in their circles decide to share a post with you).
While I expect every company to act in its own self-interest, I prefer companies that do so by working in the best interests of its customers, not by trapping their customers with gimmickry.